


Admirers And Visitors

by foxyroxi



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Canon compliant warnings apply, Canonical Character Death, Dead Riko Moriyama, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Idiots in Love, Kevin Day & Jean Moreau Friendship, Kevin Day Needs A Hug, Kevin Day and Aaron Minayrd in love, Kevin falls for Aaron, M/M, Medic Aaron, POV Kevin Day, Parental David Wymack, Prince Kevin, Riko Moriyama is His Own Warning, Riko dies in the end, Soft Aaron Minyard, Swordfighting, The Author Regrets Nothing, kevaaron - Freeform, medieval times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:46:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29116224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxyroxi/pseuds/foxyroxi
Summary: They had been sparring in the courtyard. Jean, Kevin’s best friend and personal guard, were watching them with Riko’s personal guard Jenkins. Kevin knocked Riko’s sword out of his hand for the fourth time in a row and the two guards were getting ready to intervene if Riko lashed out. Kevin kneeled down to tie a loose bootlace, but it wasn’t until it was too late, both hands pressed firmly onto the ground. He hadn’t seen or heard Riko pick up his sword and walk towards him.“Kevin! Watch out!”
Relationships: Kevin Day/Aaron Minyard
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26
Collections: AFTG Mixtape Exchange 2021





	Admirers And Visitors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BlueJay26](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueJay26/gifts).



> Happy last mixtape day! 
> 
> This one is for BlueJay26 and he song [Kings and Queens and Vagabonds](https://open.spotify.com/track/6yzssJwmdgLEISvz6eiPr9?si=WfSilPnVTAmdI4k2ELl3lg.) by Ellem and let me just be really honest here - it was hard to write something because the song did not spark any kind plot thoughts for a long while and it took me a while to get into writing, but I'm actually happy where this ended! 
> 
> I hope you like it!
> 
> Trigger warnings:
> 
> Canon compliant abuse from Riko  
> Riko dies in the end  
> Death  
> Blood  
> Violence 
> 
> The biggest thanks to [Michél](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IKnowWhoYouAre_Damianos) for wanting to discuss ideas and for being my amazing beta. He's a champ and I appreciate him 🥺💕🥺
> 
> Come and talk to me on [twitter!](https://mobile.twitter.com/foxyroxi_writes)

The Raven Kingdom wasn’t exactly unfamiliar with Riko’s temper tantrums. Neither was the Fox Kingdom. Ever since the people had expressed more trust towards Kevin and his gentle attitude towards the townspeople and the Palace’s staff, whenever something didn’t go Riko’s way, he got angry. He got angry when Kevin was deemed the better swordsman, when he was deemed the better rider and when Kengo, Ichirou, Kengo’s son, and Tetsuji, Kengo’s brother and Captain of the Raven’s, would discuss potential wives for Kevin and not Riko. But he was also angry that his father was thinking about making Kevin the Crown Prince after Ichirou had taken the throne. It sent Riko into a rage, a rage that led to towns being burned to the ground, people murdered, fields destroyed, and cattle murdered. Kengo reprimanded Riko as he saw fit - which was no punishment at all. All he got was a slap on the wrist and then Riko was on his merry way to making more mischief.

When Kengo suddenly died, Ichirou took over as King. And with Kengo out of the picture, Riko was one step closer to becoming King himself. 

Until Ichirou announced Kevin as Crown Prince and the people and the Palace staff would speak to him as such.

This made Riko see red once more. He was angry that he wouldn't inherit the throne instead of his barely present older brother Ichirou. Angry, that the people liked Kevin more than they liked  _ him _ . Angry that they wanted an absent king, rather than one who was willing to risk his life for his kingdom. Angry that Kevin was announced Crown Prince. 

People died wherever Riko went. He once again burnt whole villages down because he was angry after his father’s death. He burnt fields, slaughtered animals, and left families in ruins once more. He raped, killed and tore families apart, sent young daughters and sons to the Palace to be maids and knights and slaves, paying their families generous sums of silver coins for their children. Children they possibly would never see again. 

Kevin was always concerned with Riko’s mental state when he came home after these tours. He worried if his brother was okay because he was clearly losing it. After Kengo’s death, Riko tried harder to be better than Kevin at everything. Kevin got a feeling that this was important to Riko, that he needed to be good at something, so he started to let Riko win over him at chess, at sword fights, and riding. He would hold back when Riko gloated. He held back so much, Ichirou summoned him to his chambers to talk to him about what he was doing and Kevin explained;

“Sir, Riko’s mental state seemed to be declining fast because of your father’s death and you appointing me crown prince. He seemed like he needed to win in order to not destroy any more of your land and chase away your people.” 

Ichirou had taken everything into account and told Kevin to keep letting Riko win. And Kevin did until he didn’t and made the fateful mistake of knocking Riko off his horse, of winning over Riko in chess and knocking his sword out of his hand. Kevin was smug about it and Riko was furious at Kevin, but he kept silent about it. 

Until the day Kevin let down his defenses. 

They had been sparring in the courtyard. Jean, Kevin’s best friend and personal guard, were watching them with Riko’s personal guard Jenkins. Kevin knocked Riko’s sword out of his hand for the fourth time in a row and the two guards were getting ready to intervene if Riko lashed out. Kevin kneeled down to tie a loose bootlace, but it wasn’t until it was too late, both hands pressed firmly onto the ground. He hadn’t seen or heard Riko pick up his sword and walk towards him. 

“Kevin! Watch out!” Jean yelled, but it was too late. Riko’s sword speared Kevin’s left hand, making Kevin scream out in pain and agony. Riko pulled the sword out and stepped on Kevin’s hand before he could retract it. He leaned down so he could whisper into Kevin’s ear. 

“Let this be a lesson, Kevin. You are not better than me. And if you ever try to be better than me, I’ll cut off your head next. Is that clear, Kevin?” 

Riko’s voice was cold, numb and without remorse. Kevin knew he had to get out of there, but he didn’t know how. Jean rushed him to the infirmary to get the royal medic to take a look at Kevin’s hand. Kevin had been lucky, is what the medic had said when he had taken a look at Kevin’s hand. The sword had penetrated his hand, but his bones were intact and there was only so much he could do right then and there. 

Only time could tell if Kevin would regain full functionality of his hand.

The medic sewed his hand together the best he could before he wrapped a bandage around it and sent him on his way. Jean was in his room when he arrived, frantically packing Kevin’s things into whatever saddlebags he could find. 

“Jean, stop. I don’t know where I would go,” Kevin said and flopped down on his bed as Jean frantically paced around his room. 

“Fox Kingdom,” Jean said, though it was low and Kevin almost missed it. 

“Fox Kingdom? Why would I--?”

“Remember that letter we found when we were younger in Tetsuji’s room? From your mother? About your father?” 

Kevin frowned because he couldn’t remember such a letter, but he did remember sneaking into Tetsuji’s room for some reason. He sat up and looked at Jean as the raven-haired man stopped and looked at Kevin. He pulled a letter out of one of the bags and handed it to Kevin. Kevin picked up the letter and opened the envelope and carefully pulled out its content. 

He unfolded the letter and took a deep breath before he began to read the letter his mother had written so many winters ago.

_ ‘To Tetsuji. _

_ I know this may come as a shock to you, but I thought it would be best if you heard it from me _

_ I am pregnant.  _

_ I’m writing this to inform you that I’m returning to Raven Court in three months’ time. I plan on keeping and raising this child, no matter what you may say or think about it.  _

_ It is my decision. I hope you’ll treat my child with care and respect, just like you treat Riko and Ichirou.  _

_ The child’s father is crown prince Wymack, but he does not know.  _

_ This cannot be known. _

_ This is our secret. _

_ I’ll be home soon. _

_ Kayleigh Day.’ _

Kevin stared at the letter. It was dated from December the year before he was born and it didn’t sound like she was either at Fox Court or Raven Court when she wrote the letter. He felt the tears press on behind his eyes. He always knew his mother was keeping something from him, but he didn’t expect it to be that his father was King David Wymack of Fox Kingdom. He looked up at Jean, a single tear running down his cheek. 

“There’s another letter,” Jean spoke quietly and handed the second letter to Kevin. “I found this one night I was fetching some documents for him from his bedroom.”

Kevin carefully put the first letter back into the envelope where it belonged, then reached out for the letter. He looked at the envelope. It was still sealed with his mother’s seal and it was addressed to him. 

_ ‘Dear Kevin.  _

_ My perfect son.  _

_ I’m writing this because I fear something bad is going to happen. I fear that someone is trying to hurt me. I’m writing this to protect you because I fear I can’t protect you much longer. My first priority will always be you and your safety.  _

_ You may not know this, but I’ve kept quiet about who your father is.  _

_ I’ve always told you he is a great man, destined to do great things just like you are. You look so much like him - your smile, your eyes and your dark hair. There’s no doubt in my heart that he will provide you with safety if you should ever need it. Just show him this letter and he’ll know. _

_ You’ll always have a home at Fox Court.  _

_ Take care of yourself and Jean. _

_ I love you my prince, _

_ Mom’ _

If Kevin wasn’t crying before, he was now. Kayleigh had always loved riddles and quizzes and this was her pulling her final riddle on him. He had read the first letter already, so he knew who his father was, but with this, it was confirmed. He looked up at Jean, who had finished packing Kevin’s bags. He handed Jean the letters and stuffed them into a bag. 

Kevin stood, his back straight. 

"You're going home," Jean said because Kevin would end up dead sooner or later if he stayed. What he once considered home, suddenly wasn't. He sounded sad to let Kevin go. Kevin was sad to go because he knew he wouldn't be able to help and protect him from Riko’s rage. He pulled Jean close, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. 

"Mum told me to take care of you, not the other way around." They both laughed because they had always looked out for each other. They both pulled back after giving the other a final squeeze. 

"I'm going home."

"You're going home."

The castle was eerily quiet that night. It was possible the scream Kevin had emitted earlier had terrified half the knight squad into submission for what Riko could possibly do next. His horse was dressed in a plain saddle and a coat so it wouldn't raise suspicion when he rode through the night. He rode for five nights and four days, only resting during the day at inns or at open fields where he could hide in the tall grass and only ate the bread, cheese and fruits Jean had packed for him and whenever he ran low on water or bread, he bought some at the nearest town when he stopped for the day to rest. On the wee hours of the morning on the fifth day, he saw Fox Castle on the horizon, the sun behind him. He stopped and took a deep breath. 

_ So close _ , he thought, feeling nervous all of a sudden. He arrived at the town of Fox Kingdom a couple of hours later, the morning sun starting to feel warm against his skin. The town looked positively better than the city of Raven Kingdom ever would. He could smell the baked bread, the cheeses and the fruits as he got to the square where people were setting up their stalls. The houses were painted in light colors and the cobblestones were light. 

He had to ask for directions to the castle when he had ridden in circles around the square a couple of times. 

' _ Go to the right, past the bank, and then when you come to the bathhouse you turn left up the hill. Follow the street until you come to a gate. Past the gate and a few hundred meters past the yard you should come to another gate and then you're there.'  _

Kevin thanked the lady, giving her a handful of gold coins as thanks for her guidance and kindness of showing him the way to the castle, before he guided Queen the way she described. 

He went to the right, past the bank. He saw the bathhouse and made a left turn and went up the hill. The further up the hill he got, the more soldiers he saw filling the streets. Not so weird when he was so close to the castle. He got past the first gate and came to a yard. There was a row of stables on one end, armory, weaponry, and an infirmary on the other end. He got off his horse and walked up to the other gate. He grabbed the letters from the saddlebags, tied Queen to the post, and gently patted her muzzle.

"I'll be back soon, honey," he said and looked at the gate, feeling his stomach flip. He kissed her muzzle and started the walk through the first gate with heavy legs. He walked past it, feeling the bile rise in his stomach as he went. He wasn't sure if he was nervous, or if he was getting sick, and his legs were shaking and he felt like he was going to pass out. The sun was hot, blazing even, his hand was throbbing and he realized he hadn't eaten yet, hadn't drunk anything either. He lifted his hand to wipe the sweat off his brow when he started to see double and things started to get blurry and then everything went dark. 

When Kevin came to himself a couple of hours later he was in the infirmary. It was cool, the air pleasant against his hot skin. He rubbed his forehead and noticed how his bandages had been changed and his shirt was missing. He sat up slowly and looked around. There were two people sitting in a corner - twins he assumed or he was still seeing double. 

One of them looked up and said something in a foreign language Kevin hadn’t heard before, before the other one nodded and left. The one left walked over to Kevin, grabbing something off a table and brought it with him. 

"How are you feeling?" the man asked as he approached. The man was tiny, probably not much taller than a fourteen-year-old child. But he had the blondest of hair, the most beautiful hazel eyes that reminded him of autumn, and skin almost as pure as snow and freckles scattered across his face. He was wearing a white shirt, a dark brown leather apron, dark pants and boots.

He was beautiful. Stunning.  _ Handsome _ . Even in the simple attire he wore.

"Better, thanks," Kevin said as he straightened his back a little. "I passed out, didn't I?" 

The blonde nodded. "Yeah. Your bandages were dirty, you have a nasty infection in your wound which is likely to have caused you to have a fever and I assume you haven't eaten or gotten anything to drink all day." He handed Kevin a bottle of water. "Here. You need to stay hydrated in this heat."

"Thank you," he said and took the glass bottle and took a sip from it. He put it back down between his feet when he realized he couldn’t see his missing shirt and cloak anywhere. "Where's my stuff?" he asked.

The medic got up and walked over to a chair a couple of beds away and picked them up and carried them over to him. He handed them to Kevin, and Kevin immediately searched the pockets for the letters. He sighed in relief when they were still there. But now he faced another problem. 

"I need to see the king."

The blonde frowned on his nose. 

"The king? Why would you need to see the king?" he asked.

Kevin dug out the letter his mother had written for Tetsuji a couple of months before Kevin’s birth. He handed it to the blonde - he  _ really _ needed to ask the blonde's name. “Man” or “the blonde” wouldn't suffice in the end. The blonde read it over, almost dropping it when he realized who he was standing in front of. He handed the letter back to Kevin in a hurry. 

"Excuse me," he said as he got up and ran across the room and opened the door the first blonde had just walked out of and disappeared. Kevin sighed and got dressed with some trouble. He was still dizzy after all. He managed to get his shirt on before the blonde returned with the first blonde and a redheaded man he  _ recognized  _ from when he was a child, where the redhead had disappeared overnight with his mother. Kengo and his right-hand man, Nathan, had been furious.

"Nathan--"

"No," the redhead said in a stern voice that had Kevin flinching slightly. "Do  _ not  _ use that name, Kevin. My name is Neil."

Kevin swallowed a lump in his throat, but he nodded. He didn't want to upset anyone. 

"Follow me, Kevin. I'll take you to see the king and the queen." 

Kevin stood up from the bed, swaying steadily on his feet. The two blonde men stepped up on each side of him, supporting him. 

"Thanks," he muttered though he got a little pale once he was standing steady. Neil grabbed the bottle of water and then led them through the infirmary and hidden hallways and entryways until they reached a set of double doors that struck him as familiar. Neil knocked on the door, waiting until the doors were opened by a woman with long blonde hair and piercing grey eyes. He stepped inside, and exchanged a few words with the blonde, before she looked out at them and nodded. Neil straightened his back before he turned around and signaled for the others to follow suit. A muted ‘ _ thanks Allison’  _ and ‘ _ good thing you’re cute’ _ were exchanged between the two as they walked in and past the two. The woman chuckled, and patted Neil on his back before she walked away from him. The room struck Kevin as oddly familiar, like he had been there before. He looked around, not focusing on where the two tiny men were taking him. 

" _ Jesus, _ he's pale. Have you not given the prince something to eat or drink?" a female voice sounded. She rushed over to them, taking in Kevin’s pale appearance. "Neil, get him a chair." Neil nodded and followed the woman's order, finding a chair for Kevin to sit in. Kevin regained some color even if it wasn’t much. 

"Drink some," Neil said and handed Kevin the bottle. Kevin did without kicking up a fuss. 

"Aaron, how is he?" The woman asked.

"My Queen. He has an infection in his left hand. It's bad, but I cleaned it the best I could and he has a fever, but it has gone down," Aaron spoke and Kevin couldn’t help but look up when he heard the soft, yet slightly rough voice. "With the treatment plan I've put together, he should be good in a week."

The queen nodded and started to pace a little. "That's good. Good thing you didn't pass out in the wilderness, Kevin.”

Kevin looked at her, his eyes wide with disbelief.  _ She knows my name?  _ he thought when one of the doors to the side opened and King David walked in. 

King David Wymack was a tall man with tanned skin, dark hair, and eyes so intense they could make a boar stand down. 

Kevin stood up as he had been taught when someone of higher rank walked into the room. 

"Sit down, Prince," David's voice boomed throughout the room as he approached the others. Beside him was a girl, probably no older than ten years of age. She had the same tanned skin and dark hair as David and himself, but her eyes were blue and her facial expressions resembled Abby.

_ A sister? _

Kevin sat down again, his eyes fixed on the king and his daughter. The girl straightened her back trying to stand tall beside her father, but she lost her courage and scurried to hide behind Abby. David kissed Abby's cheek and caressed his daughter’s before he looked to Kevin and approached him.

"You've come a long way, Prince," he said. His voice exuded authority and it made Kevin sit up straighter. "You look like your mother." 

Kevin knew he did. He resembled his mother more than his father and he supposed it was a good thing. Especially when he was about to reveal to David that he had another child.

"Thank you. My mother only spoke fondly of you, Your Majesty," he said and watched a slow smile spread on David's face. "I've come here because I've nowhere else to go. My mother…" he tried to clench his wounded hand. "She said I would always have a home here."

"You're wounded," David stated and Kevin nodded. "Riko?" he asked and Kevin nodded again. David sighed.

"My mother… she left some letters for me. And she said I should bring them to you if I ever needed your help." He reached for the letters and held them out for David to take. "It's probably best if Her Highness and your daughter aren’t here when you read them."

David nodded to Neil, who escorted them out the room through the door they had entered through earlier. Aaron and his twin were still in the room as David read the letters Kevin had handed him. 

Kevin could see any and all emotions on David's face as he read - rage, sadness, anger, remorse, confusion, and surprise. He looked at Kevin, who was sitting slumped over in the chair, his hands hanging between his legs, elbows resting on his knees. 

"Is it true?" he asked and Kevin nodded, not exactly following what David was asking. The king took to pacing the floor, speaking lowly to himself.

Kevin straightened in his chair when Neil returned. 

"Get Abby, Neil. I need to talk to her." Neil stopped abruptly halfway crossing the room. He turned on his heel and went back for Abby. 

David looked like he was having a major headache and Kevin didn't know if he was the cause of it. He probably was, since that's what he had been told by the Moriyama's ever since he was a child. 

Abby and Neil returned, Abby heading straight for David, and Neil for the twin that wasn't Aaron. 

They talked for a while, a long while, and Kevin was starting to slump further in his chair. His cheeks were rosy but the rest of his face was pale. He was staring at the floor, trying to keep a focal point so he wouldn’t get vertigo, but it was hard when his vision was fading and he felt like he was burning up from the inside. 

“Kevin?” Aaron asked, stepping closer to him. Aaron put his hand on Kevin’s shoulder and moved it up to his neck, feeling his hot, clammy skin. “Shit, he’s burning up. Andrew!” 

Kevin looked up at Aaron. His eyes were glazed over with a hazy look. He shifted his gaze to Andrew, the other blonde twin. 

“We need to get him down to the infirmary again. I need to--”

“Get Renee to set up the guest room. He shouldn’t be treated like a soldier when he’s the crown prince,” Abby said and Neil nodded and hurried off to find Renee. Aaron and Andrew managed to pull Kevin up from the chair. He was heavy when he didn’t help walking as he did earlier, but they managed. They were strong after all. But when they had to carry him up the stairs, David didn't hesitate to help them.

Renee had rushed to prepare the guest room with clean sheets, fresh flowers, and a bottle of water. They all helped undress Kevin before Aaron started to wash him to get rid of all the sweat and Abby came with one of David's old nightgowns. 

Kevin was barely conscious as they washed him down and redressed him. His head was fuzzy and his eyelids heavy. The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was a pair of hazel eyes and blonde brows furrowed with worry. 

When he woke up, it was sunny. He didn’t know how long he had been asleep, what day it was or what time it was but Aaron was there, curled up in a chair with a cotton wrap around him so he wouldn’t get cold. He adjusted his large body, a deep groan leaving him, effectively waking Aaron up from his sleep, because being in the same position for who knows how long wasn’t comfortable for anyone. 

Aaron looked like a spooked deer caught by a pack of hunters looking for their next meal. 

“Fuck… you’re awake,” he said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He shook off the cotton wrap he was wearing and stood up, stretching his stiff legs. He humped over to the bed, because sitting in the same position cut off your blood circulation. He grabbed a bottle of water and a cup from the table, pouring water into the cup as he walked over to the bed. He watched as Kevin struggled to sit up, but managed to get into an awkward sitting position before he handed him the cup. 

“Thanks,” Kevin rasped, his voice barely audible. He drank from the cup, emptying it before he handed it back to Aaron. “How long…?”

“How long have you been out?” Aaron asked as he took the cup and put it on the table next to the bottle. “Four days. Your fever broke yesterday. You were awake for about thirty minutes, but I doubt you remember that.”

Kevin didn’t remember anything up the point where he had been washed down. He gathered his strength to hoist himself further up in the bed, stopping when he felt the world spin out of control. Aaron supported him with a hand on his shoulder so he wouldn't fall off the bed. 

“Thanks,” he said, taking a deep breath. He felt disgusting and hungry, which was understable since he had been sick for the better part of a week. “I would kill for a shower and something to eat.”

“I’ll call for Renee,” Aaron said and reached for a rope on the wall and pulled it. Kevin assumed it was connected to a bell system somewhere, but it didn't take more than two minutes before Renee knocked on the door.

"Come in," Aaron said.

“I’m going to help Kevin shower. Will you prepare him some soup?” he asked as he walked over to Kevin and helped him up from the bed. 

“Of course,” Renee said and smiled softly at Kevin. “It’s good to see you better, my Prince,” she said before she left, closing the door behind her. Aaron wrapped his arm around Kevin’s waist, grabbed the shirt and started to move him to the adjacent wash room. The water was already warm and inviting as he put his hand inside it to feel the temperature, before Aaron helped him undress. 

Kevin climbed into the tub with some help from Aaron, sighing as he sunk his body under the water. He rested the back of his head against the edge as the water loosened his stiff muscles while Aaron returned to the bedroom, roaming through something as he said something. Kevin wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or to him, but he wasn’t really paying attention at this point. He just let the water work its magic. That was until Aaron yanked his bandaged hand out of the water. 

“Fuck Kevin,” he sighed. “I told you not to get the bandage wet.”

“No. You didn’t,” Kevin said and Aaron emitted a deeper sigh as he went back into the bedroom. Kevin followed him with his eyes this time and he watched as he came back with a clean roll of cloth bandages and alcohol to clean the wound. 

Aaron pulled a chair over to the tub, draping a piece of cloth over his lap before he took Kevin’s hand and began to unwrap it and disinfect it with alcohol. 

Watching Aaron work did something to Kevin. Or maybe it was Aaron’s gentle touch or the sun shining through the window, hitting Aaron’s hair just right, making it look like he was wearing a halo. He wanted to reach out and touch him, make sure that he was real and not a hallucination, but he didn’t. He didn’t know Aaron well enough to touch him without his permission. 

When Aaron had changed his bandages, he helped wash Kevin’s hair, because he wasn’t up to changing the bandages again. He dried his hair while he was still in the tub, letting him soak in the water a while longer before he helped him up. Once Kevin was out, Aaron dried his body. He tried not to blush, but it was almost impossible, because he wasn’t used to being cared for like this, but he also noticed the small blush on Aaron’s cheeks as he was dressed in a loose shirt and cotton pants. Aaron helped him back into the bedroom, where Renee had put a tray with soup, some bread, vegetables and a cup of what smelled like warm milk.

"Smells delicious," he said, his stomach roaring. He blushed again, but Aaron merely chuckled. 

"It's been a few days since you've eaten anything, Prince," he said. Kevin didn’t like it when Aaron called him  _ Prince.  _ He wanted them to be equals, but with Kevin being the Prince and Aaron being the royal medic, it would never happen. With Aaron’s help he got back into bed and into an upright sitting position before Aaron served him the tray of food. 

“Thanks for the food,’” Kevin said, mostly out of habit from being with the Moriyama’s. 

He only got through half the food before he got nauseous and had to drink the cup of milk, but Aaron praised him for eating half of his food after being asleep for four days. Getting praised by the blonde made him feel warm and fuzzy inside for some reason. He hadn’t felt like that in a long time. 

During the two weeks he spent in bed recovering from his fever and regaining his strength, Aaron never left his side. Aaron was the only person he saw, who he allowed to clean him, change the bandages on his hand - not that anyone else was qualified to do it. He was the only person Kevin saw besides his father and Neil on occasion, as well as Renee when she came to change the sheets once a day and brought food. Aaron also got a break when David and Neil came by, giving him time to go and see his brother and tend to some of the sick and the wounded in the infirmary. 

When Aaron was in the infirmary and David was with him, he would tell him stories about his mother and her kind personality, but she was also stubborn and fierce, something Kevin recognized in himself. David always spoke fondly of her and always with a smile on his lips. His mother had inspired David in his ways of being a king for his kingdom, unlike the Raven Kingdom where the citizens lived in fear if they stepped out of line. He told him about Abby and his sister Grace, about how they met and their life as king and queen. 

Kevin liked it when David told him about his family, the family he never knew he had until two weeks ago. 

Kevin and Aaron would talk about everything. About why Aaron chose to become a medic and not a stable keeper like Andrew. They talked about Aaron and Andrew’s upbringings, their drug loving mother and absent father and how Neil came into their lives. After their mother had abandoned them at the city square in Trojan Kingdom, where a lady, Bee, took them in and they moved. She was a nurse, because if she told people she was a medic or a doctor she would be burned alive on the stake. Neil had just suddenly appeared out of nowhere, hiding in their stables on the farm they lived with Bee. Bee took him in too and the rest was history. Kevin wanted to know more, but he didn’t push, scared it would make Aaron run away. 

They talked about why Kevin hadn’t left the Moriyamas when his mother had died. He couldn’t leave the Raven Kingdom because he had nowhere to go after his mother’s passing. All he knew was the Raven Kingdom and their ways of life. They were passionate to the point where it was unhealthy, they fought and bickered and they would act like barbarians fighting for meat and acknowledgement. And he couldn’t leave his best friend behind, just like he had now. 

He talked about Jean and Riko and their form of friendship or brothership, about Riko’s abusive ways and Jean’s gentle soul. 

He talked about his mother and her extraordinaire persona. She could put Tetsuji in his place with only a stare, which was pretty cool when you were only five years old and thought of your mother as a saint. She would protect him when Riko was out of line or when they forced him to do training sessions that were meant for adults. And when she died, he cried himself to sleep every night for a month, because boys didn’t cry, as Riko said. 

It had been good for Kevin to talk about everything with someone he barely knew, though he felt as if he had known Aaron his entire life. 

When he saw better and out of bed, he stayed by Aaron’s side. He was with him in the infirmary, when he went into town, and when spring arrived, he went into the forest to look for herbs and plants. Aaron showed him the most beautiful things in the forest - clearings where flowers grew undisturbed, where forest rabbits and hares lived, deers and foxes. There were a lot of foxes and Kevin imagined that it was why the kingdom was named Fox Kingdom. 

One day during the summer, Aaron took him on a ride an hour away from the castle. Kevin had been in Fox Kingdom for a couple of months now and he had never been outside the city’s borders, so when he had the choice to go with Aaron to collect some special herbs he couldn’t find in the forest around Fox Castle or go spare with Neil and Andrew, he chose Aaron. On any normal day where Aaron was busy, he would have chosen to spare with Andrew and Neil, but when Aaron gave him a choice? Aaron had smiled widely when Kevin had said he would go with him. 

Aaron’s smile always did something to him. It made him feel fuzzy and warm and it gave him butterflies in his stomach.

Aaron took him to a forest that was even more undisturbed than the forests around the castle. People rarely wandered deep into the woods, probably scared not being able to find their way home, but Aaron didn’t have that problem. He knew the forest like the back of his hand and Kevin was lucky that Queen was good at following directions or else he would have been lost too. 

Aaron got off his horse when they reached the river. The sun was peeking through the crowns of the trees, making the clear water glisten. He could count the rocks on the bottom of the river, see all the small fishes swimming by. Kevin stayed on his horse, watching Aaron as he took off his boots and rolled up the hems of his pants. 

“What are you doing?” Kevin asked, his eyes going wide when Aaron stepped into the river. 

“Soaking my feet. You should try it,” Aaron hummed as he stepped further into the river. “It’s refreshing.”

Kevin just stared because he had never seen Aaron like this. Carefree. 

He jumped off Queen and took off his boots as well. He rolled up his pants before he stepped out and followed Aaron deeper into the water. Aaron was right. It was refreshing and he was enjoying it until Aaron decided to splash him with water. He hissed, because despite it being a relatively hot day, the water in the river was cold. 

“ _ Hey! _ ” he exclaimed, but Aaron just laughed and Kevin couldn’t find it in him to be angry at him. Instead he bent down, dipped his hand in the water and when Aaron wasn’t looking, he splashed water back at him, making the blonde yelp in surprise. 

“Kevin!” he laughed and felt like someone had punched him in the guts.  _ Shit. _

_ Aaron looks so pretty when he’s wet and with the sun shining on him, _ Kevin thought as he splashed Aaron once again. The younger man laughed and the splashing turned into a water fight. 

They laughed and they splashed and they fought in water until they were both drench, their hair slick against their foreheads and their clothes were clinging to their bodies. 

Kevin’s knees shook. This was the most fun he had in years and his body wasn't used to being in a cold freshwater river. He stood up straight, his legs wobbly. His cheeks were rosy and his raven-hair glistening in the sun.

"Be careful," Aaron said as Kevin took a step towards the bank. Aaron reached out and caught Kevin’s sleeve just as he tumbled over, pulling them both into the water. 

Kevin fell onto his ass, a groan leaving him as he hit his tailbone. He rubbed his lower back as Aaron landed on top of him, punching all air out of Kevin’s lung. 

"Ow," he wheezed as Aaron uttered a groan of his own. 

Aaron was planted face first onto Kevin’s chest, his hands on each side of Kevin’s hips. This was the most compromising position they had ever been in, besides from the times Aaron had showered Kevin. He pushed himself up by putting his hands on Kevin’s hard chest, feeling his pecs underneath the drenched shirt, until he could look at Kevin’s face, then down his body. He hadn’t realized just how much of Kevin he could actually  _ see. _

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked.

Kevin moved his hand from his ass and nodded. 

"I am."

He looked up at Aaron. The sun was directly behind Aaron’s head, making his hair glisten like a million small diamonds in the sun. He reached up and put his hand against Aaron’s cheek, making the man on top of him blush. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, swallowing a lump in his throat. 

“I… don’t know,” Aaron stuttered. Kevin ran his thumb across Aaron’s cheek, brushing away some drops of water. His eyes traveled down to Aaron’s red, parted lips.  _ I want to kiss him,  _ he thought as he watched Aaron’s tongue peek out through his lips. 

He lifted his gaze and looked up at Aaron once more. The blonde’s hazel eyes were wide as he had been watching Kevin ogling him. 

Kevin felt Aaron’s hands tighten in his shirt, the other’s nails digging into his chest. 

“Aaron…” 

Kevin didn’t get to say anymore before Aaron leaned in and pressed their lips together. It took Kevin by surprise, but mostly because he had had the same thought mere seconds ago. His hand on Aaron’s cheek moved on autopilot and moved onto the back of Aaron’s head. He held Aaron close as they kissed in the water. 

And they kissed until they were gasping for breath. They slowly pulled apart, both of their cheeks tinted red, lips parted as they gasped. 

Kevin’s lips spread into a wide grin and Aaron followed suit before they broke into a laugh and shared another deep kiss.

Everything would be okay, now that he had Aaron in his life. 

But there were footsteps. They were fast approaching, heavy. Metal clanking against metal. Someone was breathing heavily and it wasn’t Kevin or Aaron. 

Kevin grabbed Aaron’s arms, pushing him back so he could get up. He pushed himself out of the water and ran for Queen, reaching for his sword. 

"You need to hide," he whispered to Aaron, so they wouldn't attract even more attention to whomever was approaching them. He slipped on the mud at the bank of the river, falling back into the river before he got onto the bank and reached his horse. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt and pulled it out of the sheath when Riko appeared in the clearing. 

He was smirking. His smirk was dripping with venom, his eyes were dark and filled with murder.

"There you are, Kevin. I've been looking for you everywhere," Riko sang, swinging his sword from side to side as he approached Kevin. He lifted his sword and pointed it at Kevin. "Found you," Riko said, his voice dripping with hatred. He swung his sword and Kevin jumped out of the way. He looked over his shoulder, looking for Aaron, but he was gone. He had probably run away, like Kevin would have yelled to him if he had still been there. 

"Why don't you just die, Kevin?  _ Huh!? _ " 

Riko went for another cut, barely missing Kevin who bent his back to avoid getting hit. He moved into the water, standing on the stones and pebbles, trying to find purchase, but it was hard when the stones were slippery, but Riko followed him into the river. 

Riko tried to regain his footing but the metal boots he was wearing made the task a million times harder, Kevin looked up when he heard a branch snapping. It was Aaron, sitting in a tree, his small herb knife in between his lips, his bow and arrows on his back. He lodged his knife in the branch in front of him and took aim. Kevin was amazed by Aaron’s level of stealth in a high pressure situation. 

_ Fuck. He's amazing, _ he thought and tore his gaze back to Riko when he swore at the slippery stones, before he eventually found purchase 

"You're dead now, Kevin," Riko yelled. "You took  _ everything _ from me! My brother! My father!  _ Fuck, _ you even took Jean away from me!" He swung his sword with deadly precision and if it hadn't been for Kevin practicing with Andrew and Neil, he would have been cut in half by Riko’s sword. 

They fought with their swords and their fists. They fought long and hard and they moved from the water to the bank and into the forest. The further they moved into the forest, the harder Kevin fought to get back onto the river bank. Aaron was there and he couldn’t help when they moved deeper into the forest as they fought.

He had cuts and bruises, his shirt torn into pieces by Riko’s sword and the branches.

Kevin kicked Riko in the gut. His right arm was getting tired, he wasn’t used to fighting so long yet and kicking Riko was his only hope if he wanted to create some distance between them or to get Riko down on the ground, but he wasn’t wearing boots and Riko was wearing armor and the kick hurt him more than Riko. He jumped on one foot, making the smaller man laugh. 

Riko lifted his foot and kicked Kevin until he was lying down in the dirt. Riko stood above him, his eyes wide, pupils small. He pointed his sword at Kevin, pressing the tip into Kevin’s chest, piercing through his shirt and his skin. 

"Any final words?" He asked, pressing the sword harder into Kevin’s chest. 

Kevin had a cut underneath his left eye and above his right eyebrow. The blood was clouding his vision and he had to close his right eye to get a better look at Riko. 

_ This is it _ , he thought when Riko lifted his sword above his head. He closed his eyes and waited for the final blow.

But it never came.

Something warm hit his face, a thud sounded and he opened his eyes and stared up into the tree crowns. He didn’t dare to move until he was confident that it was over. He sat up and looked around. The first thing he saw was Jean and Aaron running towards him. Aaron didn’t have his bow and arrows on him, but Jean did.

Then he saw Riko with an arrow lodged in his throat. He scurried away from the man he once thought of as his brother. 

"Kevin!" Aaron said and fell onto the ground next to him, checking his wounds, checking that he was okay, alive and breathing. 

"I'm okay," Kevin said and looked at Jean. The other had black eyes, a bruised lip and a split left eyebrow. 

He got up with Aaron’s help and walked over to Jean and pulled him into a hug. He couldn’t hold back the tears now. He cried silently into Jean’s shoulder, holding his childhood friend close. 

A branch snapped behind Jean and Kevin pulled back and stared at Andrew and Neil.

"How…?" He asked.

"Jean appeared after you had left, said Riko had beaten him up and left him. Said Riko was out looking for you. Renee cleaned him up and then we started looking for you," Neil said, looking at Kevin. "Luckily Katelyn knew where Aaron usually looks for herbs and such and guided us hither. Got here just in time to see Riko swing his sword."

Kevin closed his eyes and sank to his knees when he realized how lucky he was. Lucky to have Jean. Lucky to have Andrew and Neil. Lucky to have Aaron. Lucky to have found his family. 

He didn’t flinch when Aaron sat next to him and pulled him close, hugging him and kissing his forehead. 

Kevin was home.

**Author's Note:**

> Come and talk to me on [twitter!](https://mobile.twitter.com/foxyroxi_writes)


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